Every quarter IDC publishes market data for blade server vendors. In the past I’ve only covered the top 4 main stream vendors, Cisco, Dell Technologies, HPE and Lenovo. However, I recently came upon IDC’s full list of blade server vendors so I thought it would be good to share.
Category Archives: Lenovo
Lenovo Releases Details on the ThinkSystem SN550 V2 Blade Server
Lenovo published details on their next generation Think System blade server, the SN550 V2 based upon the 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processor. Here are the specifics you need to know. Continue reading
Comparison of Ice Lake Based Blade Servers
(Updated 4.8.2021) Intel released the embargo on April 6, 2021 lifting the covers to the 3rd Generation Xeon Scalable Processor. As expected, blade server vendors are starting to release details of their offerings based on this new CPU announcement. Below is an updated chart to help guide you to the best blade server for your project. This version includes Intel DC Persistent Memory (Optane).
A Closer Look at the Q3 2020 IDC Blade Server Market Data
Earlier this month, IDC published their Q3 2020 WorldWide Server tracker data showing the top server vendors. in this post, I’m going to dive in and take a closer look at how blade servers are performing including which vendor is leading the blade server market. Continue reading
Helpful Blade Server Links (Updated)
Here is a list of blade-related websites that may help you find more information about blade servers. Since vendors tend to move their sites without notice if you find a dead link, please let me know. If you have other sites that you think are worthy to remember, email me at “kevin AT bladesmadesimple.com”.
Continue reading
GPU Options for Today’s Blade Servers
In the past, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) was equated to a workload that was designing something, like building automobiles. However, over the past two or three years, organizations have realized that GPUs have more value than utilization in Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML). In fact, a large majority of GPU adoption revolves around utilization of GPUs with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). Organizations have realized that VDI running Windows 10 can benefit from GPUs, so GPUs are now becoming a requirement for VDI. As we look at a “modular infrastructure” (aka blade server) environment, having multiple servers within a small footprint is ideal for VDI. Therefore, in today’s blog post, I’m going to review what each blade server vendor offers for GPU options. Continue reading
Blade Server Comparison – August 2019
Below is an updated chart to help guide you to the best blade server for your project. This version includes Intel DC Persistent Memory (Optane).
Overview of the Industry Top Blade Chassis
It occurred to me that I created a reference chart for showing what blade server options are available in the market (“Blade Server Comparison – 2018“) but I’ve never listed the options for blade server chassis. In this post, I’ll provide you with overviews of blade chassis from Cisco, Dell EMC, HPE and Lenovo. One of the things I’m not going to do is try and give Pro’s and Con’s for each chassis. The reason is quite obvious if you have read this blog before, but in a nutshell, I work for Dell EMC, so I’m not going to promote or bash any vendor. My goal is to simplify each vendor’s offerings and give you one place to get an overview of each blade chassis in the market.
Blade Server Comparison – September 2018
With the recent release of the Dell EMC PowerEdge MX blade servers, I realized it’s been a year since I’ve updated my blade server comparison chart. Below is an updated chart to help guide you to the best blade server for your project. (REVISED December 2018 – fixed drive count on Dell EMC PowerEdge MX servers. Thanks to Mike Browning for catching it after this many months!)
Blade Server Options for VMware vSAN ReadyNode
Last July I wrote a blog article showcasing the limited options listed on VMware’s vSAN ReadyNode listing. Over the past 14 months, that list has grown so instead of updating that older post, I thought I’d provide a consolidated updated list of vSAN ReadyNode blade servers.